The cruelty of Love
by Sarcastic Proserpine
Summary: [AU] She longed for him, but he rejected her. In the end he too knew how it was to feel love for someone and get nothing in return. Story based on the myth of Narcissus and Echo, slightly adjusted. R&R, please!


**The cruelty of love.**

**A/N: I just read this story the other day: Echo and Narcissus. Since I'm kinda interested in those old Greek and Roman myths, I thought it was interesting. For those of you who know the story; don't you think Sasuke resembles Narcissus A LOT? Well, at least that's what I thought, so I came up with this little drabble! ) Hope you like it! It's based on the story of Thomas Bullfinch, so some parts are literally from it, to make it more fitting. To help you understanding the following drabble a bit, the roles are the following: **

**Sakura is Echo, Sasuke is Narcissus, Kurenai is Juno and Kakashi is Jupiter. Warning: some Naruto characters probably will be kinda OOC! **

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto & Co, nor do i own the story of Echo and Narcissus by Thomas Bullfinch!**

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_**Echo. **_

Sakura was a beautiful girl: she had long pink hair flowing around her shoulders and bright green eyes, making her face shine as the morning sun. Being a smart one too, she was a favourite of many gods and goddesses and attended many philosophical debates. But Sakura had one failing: as someone intelligent as her, she loved talking, and whether in chat or argument, she wanted to have the last word.

One day Kurenai was furiously seeking her husband Kakashi who was, she feared, amusing himself among the many nymphs. The latter was known for his many love affairs. Sakura brought the goddess to a standstill by talking non-stop, telling her long and amusing stories, trying to detain her till the nymphs made their escape.

When Kurenai found out that Sakura had deliberately distracted her, she was very angry with the young nymph. Deciding to punish her, she spoke these words to Sakura: "You shall lose the use of that tongue with which you have deceived me, except for that one purpose you are so fond of: to reply. You shall still have the last word, but you will no longer have the power to speak first."

And so Kurenai's sentence took place. Sakura was no longer able to talk to other people firstly; she could only repeat the voice of another or return their final words.

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_**Echo and Narcissus.**_

One day, when Sakura was walking in the forests, she saw a beautiful young man, who carried the name Sasuke.

Immediately she fell in love with him and longed for him, to touch his pale skin and win him over. Oh, she longed for him so much. But she could not make it known. It was not in her power to speak, not until someone else spoke first. So, Sakura waited with impatience for him to speak first as she followed every movement of him softly.

One day Sasuke was separated from his friends while hunting, and while walking through the forest, he heard little footsteps pursuing him.

"Who's there?" he shouted out loud.

Sakura replied: "Here."

Sasuke looked around, but finding no one, he called again. "Come."

Sakura answered. "Come."

As still nobody appeared, Sasuke became impatient. "Why do you pursue me?"

Sakura asked the same question, no matter how much she wanted to reply to him with her own answer.

Sasuke was very curious as to who was repeating everything he said. "Let us join one another."

The girl spoke the same words with all her heart and made herself known, trying to throw her arms around the neck of the youth.

But Sasuke was not one who loved to be touched. Many suitors he had rejected, not wanting any affection of a single living creature. Thus, he took a step back while pushing the girl away, exclaiming in an angry voice: "Hands off! I would rather die than you should touch me!"

Sakura was very sad, but replied nonetheless his last words, still trying. "Touch me."

But it was all in vain. Not even caring in the slightest, he left her there lying on the ground, drowning in her grief.

Since that dreadful day Sakura lived alone, hiding among many mountain cliffs. Her form faded with sadness, till the last of her flesh shrank away. Her bones were changed into rocks and there was nothing left of her but her voice. With that she still replies to anyone who calls her, restraining her old habit of having the last word.

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_**Narcissus.**_

Sasuke's cruelty in this case was not the first and most certainly not the last. He shunned all the other nymphs who adored him, just as he did to poor Sakura.

One day, a girl who had tried to attract him in vain, uttered a prayer to the sky above her, whispering that Sasuke might feel some time what it was to love and get no return of affection. The goddess of avenge heard the prayer and granted it.

There was a clear fountain, with water like liquid silver flowing elegantly in it. It wasn't defaced with fallen leafs or branches, the fresh grass grew neatly around it, and the rocks sheltered it from the burning sun. No living creature dared to touch or to even approach the fountain, so it was left pure and unharmed.

One day Sasuke passed the little fountain. Fatigued with hunting and very thirsty he crouched down by it, wanting to drink; only to be stopped when he saw an astounding image. Not knowing it was his own reflection he was gazing at, Sasuke was enchanted by what he thought was a beautiful water-spirit that hided in the silvery water. He fell in love with himself.

Bringing his lips near the surface to kiss, he plunged his arms in to embrace his beloved creature. It fled at his slightest touch however, but returned after a moment and held his fascination once again. Sasuke could not tear himself away and lost all thought of everything else, even food and rest. Day and night he spent by the fountain, always looking.

He tried to talk to the supposed spirit. "Why, beautiful being, do you fear me? I know it's not because of my face: surely that doesn't repel you. The nymphs love me, and you yourself look not in a different way upon me, either. When I stretch my arms forward, you do the same; when I smile, you answer my beckonings with the like."

Tears of desperation fell into the water, disturbing the image at its surface. As Sasuke saw it disappear, he exclaimed: "Please stay, I beg you! Let me at least look at you, if I may not touch you."

And with this, he cherished his supposed beloved water-spirit, flames of love devouring him bit by bit.

By time he began to lose his colour, his vigour, and finally the same beauty which had formerly charmed the nymph Echo so much.

He withered away and died. When his silhouette passed the Stygian river (¹), it leaned over the boat to catch a look of itself in the water.

All nymphs mourned for him, especially the water-nymphs. They prepared a funeral pile and would have burned the body, but it was nowhere to be found. But in its place grew a flower: purple within, and surrounded by white leafs, which bears the name and preserves the beauty of the passed living creature.

**_End._**

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(¹): The ancient Romans believed that when you passed away, your spirit would cross the Stygian river to reach the Underworld.

**A/N: Well, that was it. Hope you liked it!! In case you didn't guess it, the flower that was in the place of Sasuke, was a daffodil, a.k.a. a narcissus. And yeah, I know it didn't quit fit with Sasuke's name, but hey… it's just a story, ne? ) He he… Sasuke was probably WAY too OOC. XD But I thought it would be fitting for this drabble. Just imagine him in a toga… :P **


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